March 24, 2012 8:00 AM
State of the Nation
63% say the country is on the wrong track. 29% say it is on the right track. A month ago, 59% said the country was on the wrong track and 35% said it was on the right track. [CBS/NYT 3/13/12] A year earlier, 64% said the country was on the wrong track and 30% found it to be on the right track, just about the same as it is today. [CBS 3/21/11]This month, 26% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States. A year ago, the satisfaction level was 18%. The high point in the intervening year was in May 2011, when it hit 26% before steadily dropping to 11% in August and September. Satisfaction was at 15% in President Obama’s first month in office. [Gallup]
49% of Americans are optimistic about the next 12 months, while an almost identical number of 48% are pessimistic about that time period. This is an improvement from the 44% who expressed optimism last December and the 52% who were pessimistic. [WP/ABC 3/12]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an unemployment rate of 8.3% in the month of February. That is no change from January. Looking back at the rate for this period of time over the last several years you find the following: February 2011 – 9.0%; February 2010 – 9.8%; February 2009 – 8.3%; February 2008 – 4.9%.
Gallup reported an 8.8% unemployment rate for mid- March. This is up from 8.6% in January, and 8.5% in December 2011, but down from 9.1% in February. It also reported a drop to 18.6 % in the number of people unemployed or who are working part-time, but want full-time employment.
[Note: This still undercounts the real unemployment rate because neither test includes those who have stopped looking for work.]
* Economic confidence in the U.S. dropped in the week ending March 18th. The -21 score was down from -18 a week earlier ,when it scored more positively than any time in the last 4+ years.
* 40% believe the U.S. economy is growing, up from 3% in late 2008. 46% say the economy is in a recession/depression, down from 69% in 2008.
* Job creation fell slightly in February, but it is still a full two points better than it was in February 2011.
* 28% of small businesses plan to increase capital spending in the next 12 months, while 23% plan to decrease spending.
* 73% of American investors say that “a politically divided Federal government” hurts the investment climate in the United States.
* The percentage of Americans getting their health insurance from an employer continues to drop. The 44.5% who had this benefit in 2011is down from 49.2% in 2008. [Gallup]
* In the 12 months ending January 31, sales at full-service restaurants were up 8.7% over the previous 12 month period. [NYT 3/17/12-Cenus Bureau]
49% say the recent rise in gas prices has had “quite a bit of impact” on them and their families. [NBC/WSJ 3/12]
51% believe gas prices will go up and then down, while 46% believe they will go higher and stay higher. 89% are at least somewhat concerned about the recent rise in prices.
63% say recent increases in the cost of gasoline has caused financial hardship for themselves and others in their household. 36% say it has caused a serious problem. Of this latter group who are most feeling the impact, about half of them have household incomes of less than $50,000/year. [WP/ABC 3/12]
Based on an early March Gallup survey, the “tipping point” -- when the average family would have to make significant changes in spending because of gasoline prices -- is $5.25-$5.30.
Democrats are seen as caring more about issues that are especially important to women than Republicans by 58% to 30%. [WP/ABC 3/12]
By 61% to 35% Americans believe that health insurance companies should be required to “cover the full cost of birth control for women.” However, of those who think the insurance companies should be required to cover the cost of birth control (61%), the willingness to require insurance companies to pay even if the insured organization is affiliated with a religious institution is only 49% to 46%. [WP/ABC 3/12]
53% favor the Federal government requiring employers to offer “free birth control coverage” as part of their health insurance benefit plans. 33% oppose this requirement. The supportive group includes 58% of women and 49% of men. However, if the language is changed to require employers to provide “free contraceptive services, including the morning after pill,” 43% favor this requirement, while 43% oppose it.
When asked whether the Federal government should require health insurance plans for employees of Catholic or other religiously affiliated colleges and hospitals to provide birth control coverage and require health insurance companies to pay for it, the proposition is opposed 45% to 38%. Furthermore, if the language of the question is changed to “contraceptive services and the morning after pill,” opposition grows to 49% to 34%. [NBC/WSJ 3/12]
Overall, 51% disapprove of the Federal government bailouts of a number of players in the auto industry. This includes 73% of Republicans, 50% of Independents, and 31% of Democrats. [Gallup]
While the nominal corporate tax rate is 35%, companies actually paid at a rate of 12% in 2011. [Time 2/20/12]
While there is increased criticism of government expenditures, Americans are increasingly dependent on various forms of Federal/state/local government subsidies. Various entitlements provided, on average, $7,448 per person in the United States in 2010. These include more than 50 government programs ranging from Social Security to food stamps.
In 1979, the lowest 5th/least affluent households in America received 54% of those benefits. In 2007, that had dropped to 36%.
1% of Americans relied on government benefits in 1929. In 2011, the number was 18%. [NYT 2/12/12]
Between 1985 and 2012, the weekly income for a high school graduate has grown from $333 to $638 per week. For those who have graduated from college the increase is from $506 to $1,150. [NJ 3/3/12]
Tuition, room and board averaged $15,123 for in- state students at four year public institutions in 2009. Those who attended private non-profit colleges and universities paid an average of $35,636 per hear. Eight years from now, a four- year education at a private school will cost an average of $250,000. [The Georgetown Dish 2/20/12]
The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2011-12 ranks the United States 26th in the world on how well its education system meets the needs of a competitive economy. #1 is Switzerland and Canada is #7. [WP 2/12]
53% of Americans believe that China is the leading economic power in the world, with the U.S. chosen as #1 by 33%. However, 54% see the U.S. as the number one military power in the world. [Gallup]
More than half of all births to American women under the age of 30 happen outside of traditional marriage. 51% of births to women with no college education occur outside of marriage. The rate for women with a college degree is 8%. [NYT 2/18/12]
The most religious Americans have higher overall well being than those who are moderately religious or nonreligious. [Gallup]
Of the 10 States that have the lowest percentage of residents without health insurance, ranging from Massachusetts 4.9% to Maine 12.9%, 9 of the 10 were won by Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election. Of the 10 States with the highest percentage of residents without health insurance, ranging from Louisiana 20.4% to Texas 27.6% , 7 of 10 were won by John McCain in 2008.
Even global warming has taken on a partisan tint. When asked whether the current warmer temperatures are normal year-to-year variations or due to global warming, 43% of Democrats select global warming, but only 19% of Republicans make that choice. [Gallup 3/12]
